Turbine bearing support



March 15, 1960 A. HAINES ETAL TURBINE BEARING SUPPORT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 1, 1954 l 6 W 4 W g d I if y w 9 (4 flw 3 4 M, f w? H v0 w m ..]..m 0 iii I m n fifli 5 WM 5 7 4 W 4L M 07/ a a 7; J

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INVENTORS LAWRENCE A. l-IA/NES LE LIE C. SMALL JR. B)

ATTORNEY L. A. HAINES ET AL TURBINE BEARING SUPPORT March 15, 1960 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 1. 1954 INVENTORS LAWRENCEA. HA/NES LE LIEC. M LLJR.

BY A TTORNEY March 15, 1960 A. HAINES ETAL 2,928,648

TURBINE BEARING SUPPORT Filed March 1. 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN WIN TORS LAWRENCE A. HA/NES LES IE C. MALL JR.

ATTORNEY UnitedStates Patent TURBINE BEARING SUPPORT Lawrence A. Haines, West Hartford, and Leslie C. Small,

Jr., South Glastonbury, Conn., assignors to United Aircraft Corporation, East Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Application March 1, 1954, Serial No. 412376 12 Claims Cl. 253-39 This invention relates to a bearing support for a gas turbine power plant, and especially to the bearing downstream of the turbine.

These bearings have been supported in a housing which is held concentrically within the turbine case by radially extending supporting pins which are slidable in either the housing or the casing to provide for relative thermal expansion. These supporting pins extend across the annular exhaust passage and impede the flow to a certain extent. One feature of the invention is an arrangement by which to reduce the impedcnce to the exhaust gas flow. Another feature is the support of the housing by tension rods which can be much smaller in section than the supporting pins.

One feature of the invention is an arrangement of the casing to take the bending loads applied by the support rods. Another feature is the arrangement of fairings around the rods in such a way that the thrust loads on the fairings and inner exhaust duct are 'not transmitted to the rods. A further feature is the arrangement for removing the support of the tail cone from the bearing support and for the support of the tail cone by the fairings. One other feature is the arrangement of other smaller fairings between the fairings around the support pins and to provide for a support for these other fairings from the casing.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the specification and claims, and from the accompanying draw ings which illustrate an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view throughthe exa haust duct and rear turbine bearing.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view substantially along the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view substantially along the line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the outer end of one of the tubes.

Fig. 7 is a view on a smaller scale of the last turbine stage showing its relation to the bearing.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 7, the turbine rotor 2 has a projecting shaft 3 and is supported concentrically within acasing ring 4. A bearing housing 5 has a number of hollow rods or tubes 6 extending radially outward for engagement with the ring 4. The latter has a mounting flange 7 at its upstream end for attachment to the turbine casing Sand at its downstream end circumferential flanges 9 which provide for mounting the downstream end of the power plant in an aircraft as by engine mounts 10 only 7 one of which is shown. The turbine casing 8 has at least one row of nozzle vanes '11, Fig. 7, which direct the gas flowing thereover against the blades 12 on the rotor.

The tubes 6 are fastened at their inner ends to the bearing housing 5 which is in the form of a ring having on its inner surface a recess 16 to support the outer race 18 of an anti friction bearing,'-the inner race 19 of ice tube has a flange 26 at its inner end by means of which the tube is bolted to the outer end surface of the hub 24." Each tube also has a projecting pilot 28 which engages in a piloting recess 30 in the outer end of the hub.

The outer ends of the tubes extend through bushings or brackets 32 mounted in the casing ring 4 and the tubes 6 are placed under tension by nuts 34 engaging the threaded ends of the tubes, thereby holding the housing 5 securely in concentric relation to the casing ring ,4.

Each of the tubes 6 is placed under a predetermined tensile stress of such an amount that, when the power plant is started, the thermal expansion of the tubes, which occurs at a more rapid rate than the thermal expansion of the casing 4, because of the flow of hot gas around the tubes will not be great enough to relieve the tensile stress in the tubes entirely. The bushings 32 are spaced axially from the reinforcing rings 9 as shown, thereby allowing for a small deflection of the casing at the points where the bushings are located when the tensile load on the tubes 6 is greatest.

Each tube is surrounded by a fairing 36, Fig. 4, forming a turning vane for the gas discharging from the turbine in the direction shown by the arrows 37 in Fig. 1. The

fairing 36 is hollow as shown and has channel shaped braces 38 therein for the purpose of reinforcement. The

outer end of the fairing 36-is closed by a cover. plate 40.

'In the arrangement shown, the fairings or vanes 36 support the tailcone 42 which surrounds the bearing housing 5. This tailcone consists of a sleeve 44 which ex tends around the housing 5 and also defines the inner wall of the gas path through the exhaust duct. The sleeve 44 surrounds sealing rings 45 and 46 which are bolted 1 respectively to upstream and downstream radial surfaces 48 and 49 on the housing 5, said rings having sliding fits with flanges 47 on the sleeve '44. The tailcone also has,

the conical element 50 having a cap 52 at its downstream end and having a bolting flange 54 at its upstream end by means of which it is fastened to the sleeve 44 and also to cap 56 forming a closure forthe downstream and of the sleeve 44. The-sealing ring 45 extends obliquely outward from its attachment to the housing 5 to its sliding fit with the sleeve 44 adjacent to the upstream edge of the sleeve. This sealing ring 45 thus forms a closure for the annular space between the sleeve 44 and the rings '45 and 46.

The several fairings 36 are rigidly connected to the tailcone. To accomplish this the end channel memebers 38 within the fairing 36 are extended inwardly beyond the fairing as shown in Fig. 1, and are reinforced by short plates 58. These channel members are attached as' by' bushing 66 therein which receives the inwardly projecting end of a tube or sleeve 68 which extends inwardly from the bushing of bracket 32. With this arrangement any thrust loading on the vanes 36 and tailcone will be transmitted directly to the casing 4 rather than to the support tubes 6, since fairings thus function to support the tail cone and are in turn supported by the tubes 68. Any

radial growth of the fairing and tailcone as -a result of thermal expansion is accommodated by the sliding lit Patented Mar. 15, 1960 r the desired limits under all iconditions.

In;thetassembly of-the,device,-'the vanes 36' and 821mm 3 between the bushing G GY -and thlie 68 and the clearance at the outer end of each bushing between it andtiie"surrounding parts. 7 a,

As best shown in Fig. 6 the tube 68 is large enough in diameter to provide a clearance between it jandth'e support tube 6 which extends'through it." The tube 68 has a flange 70 on its outerendfwhich engages withjan inwardly extending flange .72 on the bushing 32. The tube 68 is piloted withinfa cylin'drical surfae-74'piovided by the flange 72 and the support tube 6 is piloted within thesurrounding' tube 68 by a ring 76 which surrounds the tube 6 underneath the nut 34 and which eirgages with the inner wall of thebushing' 32 to holdtlie tubes'6 and '68 in concentric-relation. The run "34 clamps the 'ring'76 against the flange 70 and the latter is held aga'inst'the flange 72 'ofthe bushing 32. After the arts haye be'en assembled and the desired 'tensio n' applied'to the support tube 6 the parts arelocked in posi-'- tion by a clampingring ,78, the periphery or which is threaded to engage with cooperating threads on the bush- E.

ing 32. This ring 78 engages with the outer and of the clamping 'nutj34. After allof theseparts are assembled, a

the ring 78'may be locked against rotation as by a pin 80.v In thearrangement shownfthere are six tubes and fairirigs or vanes36. Between these vanes 36 are*]9i other vanessz 'which aid in turni gas discharging ffoin theturbine. These vanes 82 are thinner'than the vanes: 36 and have reinforcing rods'84 between theouter walls of the yanes which stiffen the yanes and also extend inwardly fronrthe yane'for attachment as bygbolts 85, 'Fig. 3, t6 the "flangesf6 2. "At the outene'nd f each 7 vanesz, one ofthe rods mann quin ano n-v wardl y extending pin, 88 the head of whichflts in an axial fslot 90:inrai cup si welded iiito the casing 4; This a RPFYP' i F a e na em n iseawater mo fen entjof the vanej and thus maintains the desired 1 circuinierential spacing of the vanes. I 1 V The ing 4 may be shielded from direct contact with the gas dischargingifrom the turbine by a; r-ing shaped heat shield 94 attached at its upstream edge to the casing 4 adiacentto the flange 7, and which extends inflspacd relation to-s aidcasing.to a; point adjacent to the trailing edge of the casing where it closely approaches or. engages the casing 4;but is jpreferably not attached thereto.

' Lubricant: supplied to the bearing through one of;

the tubes'ffi. .;The tube 6;surrou,n ds asmallendian eter tube, 36 the inner end of: which is received infa radial bore 98 the housingS and the outer endof whichgfits a plitgltlt), Fig. -6,.thread ed into;the end of the tube 6. Apipe 102 connects, through a fitting '104wi tha; passage 166 in the plug fonflow of lubricant to the tube 96 and thencetothe bearing. 'Asitnilar arrangement in,

another tube 6 may provide for scavenging lubricant anda her surrounding the bearing.

a third tube may provide for venting the scavenge cham- The bushing 32'rnay have its attachmentto the casing 4 reinforced byra cup 108, Fig. 6, surrounding thebushing and welded to the bushing and casing as shown. Since the casing 4 is relatively thin,'it will be apparent that suflicient radialflexibilitymay be provided'fortliecasing at the" points where rthe bushings are located 580 t that-theflcasing will dish; in at the bushings beforethe tubes 6- are overstressed. By thisfiexibility it is possible furthermore to. maintain the stress on thetubes 'within t: allythereofforapplying a tensile'stress'to saidrods.

to the specific embodiment herein illustrated and de- "scribed, but may be used inother ways without depar 'which said rods extend, and means "engaging "with i the outer ends of the rods'iand 'with said brackets'for applyin; a tensile stress to said rods;

2. In a turbine construction, an'annular casing forming the outer wall of a duct,-'a bearing housingpositioned centrally within the casing, a plurality of rods attached to and extending outwardly' fronfsaid' housing, angularly spaced bracketspositioned in said casing and through which said rods extend, and means engaging with the i o'uterjends of the. rods and with said brackets for apply iiigatensile stress to" said rodsjsaid last r'neanslincluding a nut engageable with the end of eachrod, the latter being'tlireaded.

'3. 'In'a turbine construction,"an'annular casing forming the outer wall of a 'ductfa bearing housing positioned centrally/within the casing, a'plurality of rods attached tdand extending outwardly from said housing," said rods projecting through said casing, and"means engageable withtheouterends of the "rods and 'with the'casin'g ex- In a turbine c'o'nstru'ctionQan annular casing formtliebuter wallofa 'duct; ab'e'aringhoiisiflg' positioned centrally the casing, a a faning surroundingthe' hhsinganddefiiiingthe in'n i a'f p1 'alitybf "rods f attached to' a'nd" extending outwardly v '11 of the annular duct,

said housing, "said rods beingengageable "with the ya'nes' surrounding thejr'ods "and extending across the anf nula ductf'sai'dwan'es beingattachedat their inner ends to said fairing 'and'nieans carried by'tliec'asing for'supporting thevanes circurhferehtiall'y and axially 'and proyiding for 'r adial't'r'ioyenientf of the'outer eiids of the vanes .rl'atiye to th'ej casin at their outer ends, 's'aid'ni'eans be- I ing spaced irorn the rods.

iii an "defining are inner 'wauidf we-afinular use, at

bineicbhstruction, an easing ,fqrin- 'tne easing; atair'ing'suroundiiig the'li'oustcasing attheir outer ends such that said rodssuppolt'the' bearing housing, m'eahs for applying tens'io'n to said rods,

,surroundin'g'the rods and extending acrossthe'ann'til ar'ductjsaid vanes being attached 'at their inner ends to. said fairing, and a sleeve in the casing surrounding and spaced 'froni-each rod, the outerffend of the vane.

engaging'and being radially 'slidable with respect to said sleeve.

7 1 t to {and extending outwardly from saidmeusing, annularly- -spaced brackets positioned --in 4 said casing and V seti'in positiomthe' rods-ontubes '6 are inserted in-the bushings 32' andv the bearing housing-is then, placed gin into engagement with' -the housing andare bolted "theres to; The parts of-the tailconeareattafchedythe ,vanes 38 men a'wunaersmoa tna nemana ement-antes ithrough which said rods extendsand means-engaging with th --'o'ute'n ends of the -rods'==and 'with a ringextending 'around' saidcasing. pos tion. The tubes 16 are'thenv moved ra'dially mward In a turbiiie iconstiuctiongan annular casing forming th'c outeij wall fofa duct, a bearing housing-positioned centrally within the casing, a plurality of rods attached to V and extending 'outw'ardly fren-s id A housing; "annul arly ts positioned '11 s'ald c a'sing' fand through niea ris n' n'g with tlie ti'f'siddifit 's' for ap le ddt'er en'dsnterest-an gatftheir i 'out'er ends 7 such that 's'aidTods suppo t the bearin'ghdlising; rheans for applying" tension to" said rods,

riaiitsria uu; at-bearing;mun -panama 6.111 a turbine constructiom an annularcasingforniing h 7 id "brackets-tor appiying aitensile stress to'. said-rods,- =said %casing having 'ajt 'a pointaxially spaced from said bi'acketsa reinforcing spaced brackets positioned in said casing andthrough which said rods extend and means engaging with the outer ends of the rods and with said brackets for applying a tensile stress to said rods, said casing having at a point axially spaced from said brackets a ring extending around said casing, said casing being radially flexible adjacent to said brackets.

9. In a turbine construction, an annular casing forming the outer wall of a duct, a bearing housing positioned centrally within the casing, a plurality of rods attached to and extending outwardly from said housing and means engaging with the outer ends, of the rods and with the casing for applying'a tensile stress to said rods, said rods releasably attached to the bearing housing and having piloting means associated with the housing for holding the rod in position while being attached to the housing.

10. In a turbine construction, an annular casing forming the outer wall of a duct, a bearing housing positioned centrally within the casing, a plurality of rods attached to and extending outwardly from said housing, said casing having brackets therein through which the outer ends of the rods extend, a bushing positioned in each of said brackets and surrounding the associated rod, 21 ring around said rod and engaging the bracket to hold the rod centrally of the sleeve and a nut threaded on the outer end of the rod and engaging with the ring and sleeve to hold them in position in the bracket.

11. In a turbine construction, an annular casing fern-1+ ing the outer wall of a duct, :1 bearing housing positioned centrally within the casing, a plurality of rods attached I i to and extending outwardly from said housing, said casing having brackets therein through which the outer ends of the rods extend, a bushing positioned in said bracket and surrounding the associated rod, a ring around said rod and engaging the bracket to hold the rod centrally of the bushing and a nut threaded on the outer end of the rod and engaging with the ring and bushing to hold them in position in the bracket, the hearing housing having a fairing therearound, a vane surrounding each of said rods and rigidly attached at its inner end to the fairing, each vane having at its outer end a sleeve fitting over and receiving the bushing carried by the casing bracket such that the fairing andthe vanes are supported by said bushings.

12. In a turbine construction, an annular casing forming an outer wall of a duct, and having associated therewith at least one row of turbine nozzle vanes, a turbine rotor positioned within said casing and having a row of blades cooperating with said vanes, a bearing for said rotor, a bearing housing supporting said bearing and positioned centrally within the casing, a plurality of rods attached to and extending outwardly from said housing, said rods projecting through the casing and means engaging with the outer ends of the rods and casing for applying a tensile stress to said rods.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

